Accessibility in the News—7/20/18.

This week, the major topics in accessibility were website accessibility and other ADA Title III lawsuits, accessible travel, and accessible housing. Lawsuits over website accessibility continue to grow in number, reaching an all-time high this past month.

For people with disabilities, travel is not always an easy task. Finding an accessible hotel, accessible tourist attractions, and accessible restaurants can all be quite challenging. However, with many websites dedicated to making travel more accessible, things are seeming to move in the right direction.

As the baby boomer generation begins to age, the need for accessible housing continues to skyrocket. With new developers taking this demographic into consideration, hopefully the availability of accessible housing will continue to rise.

The big story the past few weeks was the Starbucks plan to remove all plastic straws from stores by the year 2020. Although this may be a nice environmental gesture, and a step towards removing single use plastics from our lives, it did not take into account people with disabilities. Other places have followed suit, with San Francisco placing a citywide ban on plastic straws. Starbucks has made it clear that straws are not going to be completely eliminated, though. Instead, they will be replaced with biodegradable paper straws. Some have expressed concerns that these straws won’t hold up as well as plastic straws and therefore will be harder to use for people with disabilities. Either way, this is a hot topic, prompting the hashtag #StrawlessSummer, and people with disabilities have legitimate concerns that aren’t seeming to be taken seriously.

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National News (U.S.)

During an investigation into the accessibility of GW’s websites, the Department of Education found that several web pages lacked accommodations for individuals with disabilities, primarily those with vision impairments. The University fell under federal investigation in April 2017 for alleged disability discrimination based on the accessibility of its websites. The investigation closed in March after officials signed a “resolution agreement” mandating they would implement a new plan to improve online accessibility – but officials last month declined to give details about when the probe concluded or specify the details of the plan…

Accessibility for all- Why removing barriers from web interaction should be a part of your organization’s business model

Healthcare providers can face legal ramifications if their websites fail to consider the needs of those with disabilities, but the reasons for developing an accessible website go far beyond adhering to government regulations and represent the rare opportunity for businesses to align moral obligations with their financial bottom line. During a webinar hosted by Becker’s Hospital Review and sponsored by Scorpion Healthcare, Brian Q. Davis, senior vice president at Scorpion Healthcare, outlined how hospitals and health systems can bring their websites into alignment with web accessibility guidelines..

At The Frank, accessibility obstacles going, going gone

John Aaker isn’t a huge baseball fan, but when he and his family moved into a house less than two blocks from Mankato’s premier baseball park he figured he would hit a few games. After all, the ball field was getting a well-publicized makeover with artificial turf, new scoreboards, more varied concessions, additional seating options and better bathrooms. When Aaker mentioned his plans to others with mobility challenges, they reacted with surprise: “‘Have you been there?'”…

Proposed San Francisco straw ban may affect people with disabilities

Cities around the country have anti-plastic straw legislation in the works, including San Francisco. While reducing plastic waste is positive for the environment, it’s concerning for some people with disabilities. “Anything that attempts to limit the amount of plastic waste in our environment today, is very positive,” says Nina McCullaugh, who is visiting her daughter in San Francisco from Los Angeles County, where Malibu is also working to ban plastic straws. Three years ago, video of a plastic straw stuck in a sea turtle’s nose went viral…

Making your apps accessible to those with disabilities

With 15% of the world’s population living with some form of disability, making apps more accessible is an important, but often overlooked, part of the app design process. Types of disability that might affect a user’s experience include hearing and visual impairments, dyslexia, and physical limitations. As a result, designing for accessibility forces developers to think more carefully about every element of front-end design – from readability to content organization and the use of color…

Part 1 of Understanding the (Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 highlighted the difficulty many commercial property and business owners have in understanding and implementing the ADA. One may ask: “How do I determine if my property is in compliance and how do I get my property into compliance before delivery of a notice from an attorney informing me to do so?” Continue reading for more information and also look for part 3 where we answer your specific questions…

How Special Needs Desperately Need Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) has shown the ability to leverage unique perspectives. Leap With Alice, an AR-focused EdTech company, aims to be the first to provide undeniable evidence that this emerging technology can empower learning disabilities like never before. Until now, there has not been a study examining the impact of AR-enhanced learning on students with dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The research team at Leap With Alice has submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation with the aspiration of determining just that…

How to design your game for the hard of hearing

Designing a game to be welcoming for players who are hard of hearing might not be as complicated as you think, but it does take a bit of education. Learning how to take the information that’s often provided exclusively through audio and present it through other means has its challenges. The video above, from Game Maker’s Toolkit, does a good job of discussing some of these obstacles that might not be immediately apparent to most players or developers. Take subtitles, for instance…

UF expands, leads country in disability housing

Freshman Robyn Clarke’s transition to college was like any other — filled with anticipation and excitement. But unlike most students, Clarke lives with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder affecting movement and posture, making her transition into a dorm a little different. “I’m not strong enough to open the door on my own,” Clarke said. “When I try, it just takes all of my strength and effort.” As she looked for a college to attend, Clarke struggled to find a university with on-campus housing where she could live safely on her own terms…

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Tuesday called on the state legislature to approve a new $8 billion Transportation Bond Act, citing the lack of accessibility for senior and disabled citizens in about half of the neighborhoods served by the city’s subway system. According to the report entitled “Service Denied: Accessibility and the New York City Subway System,” released by the Comptroller’s Office, 62 out of 122 stations across the system are “ADA Transit Deserts.” …

Website Access and Other ADA Title III Lawsuits Hit Record Numbers

If ADA Title III federal lawsuit numbers continue to be filed at the current pace, 2018’s total will exceed 2017 by 30%, fueled largely by website accessibility lawsuit continued growth. We have completed our mid-year analysis of the ADA Title III lawsuit numbers and the results are striking. ADA Title III Lawsuits (All Types). Plaintiffs filed 4965 federal ADA Title III lawsuits in just the first six months of 2018, as compared to 7,663 for all of 2017.

Feds: Michigan failed to meet special education requirements

Michigan is the only state in the nation that failed to meet federal special education requirements and will require intervention, according to an evaluation by the U.S. Department of Education. The report reveals the state is far behind when it comes to students with disabilities. Test scores and high school graduation rates are significantly lower than other states. Federal education officials rated Michigan as “needing intervention” in an annual Individuals with Disabilities Education Act performance report…

State Agrees To Upgrade Public Housing For Disabled After Federal Probe

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority has agreed to upgrade living units to meet accessibility standards, resolving a federal investigation that unearthed hundreds of violations last year. The U.S. Housing and Urban Development investigated the Housing Authority in response to a complaint filed two years ago by Louis Erteschik, head of the Hawaii Disability Rights Center. Representatives from HUD, the Housing Authority and the Disability Rights Center signed a voluntary compliance agreement this month that lays out a three-year process for evaluating and upgrading public housing units to ensure they meet federal regulations…

CTA plans for accessible stations, though funds are not available

The CTA on Thursday is announcing its first plan to make the entire system accessible to people with disabilities over the next 20 years. The CTA said the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Strategic Plan will cost about $2.1 billion, and it does not yet have the money to pay for it. The agency is announcing the plan now to begin the effort to secure funding by building support and increasing awareness of accessibility needs, said spokesman Brian Steele…

Starbucks Is Opening Its First Signing Store to Increase Accessibility

Starbucks is making moves to become a more inclusive, accessible, and eco-friendly coffee shop this year. First, the store overhauled their customer-only bathroom policy after an incident involving the police earlier this year, then they announced they’re going straw-free, and now the company will open up a new store dedicated to making ordering coffee more accessible and comfortable for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and their allies. Today, the coffee chain announced it will expand on its existing international Signing Store and open one in America because everyone should be able to enjoy a coffee or pastry anywhere and anytime…

Ride sharing app for wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the works

A new ridesharing app is aimed at helping people who need wheelchair-accessible vehicles. It’s called MoovMo. According to MoovMo’s founder and CEO Daryl Harris, there are nearly 30,000 wheelchair users in Alabama. Andre Underwood is one of those 30,000. And now, he’s the reason he and others could soon see some relief when it comes to getting from point A to point B. Underwood is just like any other office assistant. He fills out paperwork, makes copies, and helps out wherever he can…

Compliance Corner – ADA compliance for websites

When one thinks of ADA accessibility, sidewalk ramps, disabled parking spaces, and wheel chair access immediately comes to mind. What about websites? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets standards for accessibility for people with disabilities to all commercial and public entities that have “places of public accommodation”. In 2010, the Department of Justice clarified that the definition of places of public accommodation includes the internet, and hence, websites of commercial and public entities…

Jack Fact — The World Health Organization (WHO) reported over five percent of the world’s population, more than 360 million people, suffer from “disabling hearing loss.”

International News

SAS gets criticism for the website

In November last year , SAS’s airline website broke out of the audit report by the Directorate for Administration and ICT (Difi). The website violated 20 of 28 requirements, and the directorate pointed out that the site was not only difficult for disabled people, but also for users who want to book a ticket when they have a bad time. The deadline for making changes was set to June this year, but SAS has not yet corrected all the errors. It turns out that only two thirds are corrected…

For the first time, Norwegian IT authorities provide daily fines for poorly designed websites

It is the municipality of Askøy, which is now heavily refsed by the Directorate for Administration and ICT (Difi). Ever since this autumn, the municipality has learned that your web pages are not good enough, both in terms of design and content. But little has happened and Difi has had enough. Now they issue – for the first time ever – fines to a municipality for bad websites. If the municipality does not correct the errors by Friday 6 July, they will receive 10,000 daily fines until the errors are corrected…

How the OHMI Trust is making music inclusive for disabled people

If you’re disabled, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ve never had a chance to play a traditional musical instrument, whether for fun or as a career. It’s a problem that the OHMI Trust has set out to solve – and it’s doing so with considerable success. This year it’s holding a major conference, which will include a gala concert and awards, to explore the barriers to music-making faced by people with physical disabilities. Here, the OHMI tells us more about the event, and how you can experience the joys of playing music, whatever your disability…

How disabled travellers finally stopped being ignored – thanks to a company you might not expect

Will you be going abroad or enjoying a staycation this summer? It’s grand to have options, isn’t it? As a wheelchair-using wanderer, I’ve often felt ignored, shut out from the types of travel my non-disabled family and friends take for granted. But this year has marked a real change for those of us with access requirements with the introduction of Airbnb’s new accessibility filters and features. Seeing a broader recognition of integration and inclusion from a global brand, and on a website that I can now use alongside my non-disabled family and friends, is what disabled travellers want and deserve…

B.C. residents with disabilities demand a say on proposed accessibility law

For Amanda Reaume, acquiring a disability meant awakening to a civil rights movement in a way made possible through lived experience. Last year, the 33-year-old writer suffered a brain injury that left her with balance problems and having to relearn how to walk and talk at the same time. She returned to work in Vancouver six months later but with a new, invisible disability. “Becoming disabled, it really makes me consider accessibility a lot more, and the ways in which our society really restricts access,” she said…

‘Sensory Friendly Spaces’ in Surrey to help individuals and families with autism

The City of Surrey is rolling out a number of initiatives designed to make life easier for individuals and families with autism. The resources, created and supported by Canucks Autism Network, were unveiled at the organization’s recent Birthday Festival, held July 7 at Surrey Civic Plaza in celebration of CAN’s 10th anniversary. Among them is “Sensory Friendly Spaces” — designated spaces at public events that aim to provide “a haven for individuals with autism and other sensory sensitivities to relax…

Dada Vaswani was passionate about enabling the disabled

In keeping with the late spiritual leader Dada JP Vaswani’s efforts to extend a helping to the disabled, Pune-based Sadhu Vaswani Mission had initiated two specific programmes- ‘Enable the Disabled’ and ‘Sight for the Sightless’ over the last 15 years. On the very day that he breathed his last, St. Mira’s College for Girls, which is run by the mission, was all set to launch a special certificate course on sensitising the youth on accessibility for the disabled…

New Study Links Herpes to Getting Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most mysterious and devastating mental diseases around. However, new reports from several groups of researchers are finding an unexpected link that could help medical professionals better understand Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists from the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh did further analysis of a Taiwanese study that uncovered a causal link between the herpes virus infection and Alzheimer’s disease. The original Taiwanese paper looked at subjects who’d suffered severe herpes infections and were then treated with very strong antiviral drugs…

70% of applications for accessibility compliance certificates rejected by the CRPD

70% of the applications for a compliance certificate which states that a building is in line with accessibility guidelines were rejected by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) over 2017. This statistic was brought to light in the Commission’s Annual Report. The CRPD is in charge of ensuring that the Equal Opportunities Act is observed in a reasonable manner. As part of this enforcement, the Planning Authority is obliged to consult with CRPD regarding applications for numerous different types of buildings…

Ministry to urge improvement of airport accessibility ahead of Games

The tourism ministry will step up efforts to make the nation’s airports more accessible for disabled people ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it has been learned. The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry will ask airport operators to introduce various new features, including special vehicles equipped with a lift to help wheelchair users board airplanes, and special lights at restrooms to alert the hearing impaired of emergencies when they are using such facilities…

Report ranks performance of accessibility services in 30 UK airports

On 13th July, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) released its yearly report on the accessibility services provided by the top 30 UK airports. The CAA’s framework for ranking accessibility services in airports aims to improve performance and help deliver a consistent, high-quality service for disabled passengers across UK airports. It assesses airports against a variety of measures to establish how well they are performing for disabled passengers, including asking those passengers using the assistance service how it performed for them…

Disability legislation to crack down on public bodies in the UK

New legislation coming into force will mean that, as early as 2020, all public-sector organisations, including all councils will need to make sure that their digital services and online information are accessible for disabled people. In October 2016, an EU Directive came in which states all public-sector bodies must have accessible digital services by 2020. This means that they can be used by people with disabilities and additional needs, for example using screen readers or other assistive technology…

Heritage should take second place to accessibility, says Archbishop Welby

Disability and accessibility should trump heritage, the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested on Friday. Archbishop Justin Welby said that he would “like legislation put through Parliament that put disabilities above heritage”, in order to improve accessibility. He was speaking at a conference on disability and the C of E, hosted at Lambeth Palace. Delegates from across the country discussed the issues that disabled people face in the Church, from access to attitudes. Together they explored ways that disabled people could be more included and valued…

Malawi’s voter registration: accessibility for people with disabilities granted

The Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) has disclosed that the first phase of voter registration exercise in the country was conducted at centres accessible to people with disabilities. Through a report released over the weekend, MESN has disclosed that only a few centres where the registration was conducted saw challenges for people with disabilities. “Ninety seven percent of the registration centres were easily accessible by persons with disabilities. This is a good step towards inclusive participation…

Accessible ATV could bring freedom to disabled hunters

When you think about hunting in the Saskatchewan wilderness, the words “wheelchair accessible” don’t really come to mind. But that could change in the near future. The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) is working on a project to buy a specially designed accessible ATV to improve hunting access for people in wheelchairs. Bobbie Cherepuschak has spina bifida. While he can walk a little bit, he has used a wheelchair to get around his whole life…

City of Lethbridge creating new Accessibility Mobility Master Plan

A new master plan is in the works at the City of Lethbridge. The Accessibility Mobility Master Plan is in its beginning stages with city officials partaking in simulation exercises on Wednesday. Malika Karim reports on why the city wants to move forward with the plan and what the next steps of the plan will be. “Once you take that sense of sight away, it just changes your entire perspective,” said Chris Witkowski, who is the project lead for the Accessibility Mobility Master Plan…

Poland’s government has approved a multibillion programme to redesign public infrastructure and make it more accessible to senior citizens and people with mobility problems. Under the programme, dubbed Accessibility Plus, some PLN 23 billion (EUR 5.4 bn, USD 6.2 bn) will be spent by the end of 2025 to improve the living conditions of elderly Poles and citizens with various kinds of mobility impairments, the country’s prime minister said on Tuesday…

How can technology become the ultimate ally for inclusion?

Accessibility and usability consultant Gerry Ellis spoke at Inspirefest 2018 about how technology should be for people of all ability levels. Technology can provide us with profound new ways of viewing the world, learning opportunities, and chances to meet and connect with like-minded people. It creates a space for education, bonding and expansion of minds. Unfortunately, people with disabilities can often be restricted in how they use technology due to design omissions and an overall lack of consideration…

VPAT®s (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®s)

Microassist Digital Accessibility Services

Our digital and web accessibility services cover

Accessibility Audit Services — Our comprehensive audit will map all findings to internationally recognized WCAG 2.0 AA standards and equip you and your technical and content teams to know what areas need to be brought into compliance.

Accessible Elearning Development — Does your online training reach all learners, whether they’re your employees, resellers, students? Let us help you design effective, engaging training that works for everyone.

Accessible Website and Application Development — An inaccessible website or application is increasingly seen as violating the ADA. Let’s talk about creating an online presence that reaches all your customers and reduces your litigation risk.

Audit and Testing Services— A thorough accessibility audit against recognized accessibility standards will show you where you may be under-serving your customers and putting your organization at risk.

Accessible Document Services — Digital assets such as Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, and audio and video files need to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, too. We can help you establish creation processes or remediate historical documents so that they meet accessibility standards and are usable by people with disabilities.

Remediation Services — Whether for a time-sensitive response to a legal action, or for proactive remediation, we can fix what doesn’t meet accessibility standards.

Accessibility Training — Contact us to get your teams introduced and informed about accessibility best practices.

Please contact us for any questions you have about our accessibility services and how we might support your organization.

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